My live.com account might be getting crossed with someone else's outlook.com account with the same username

It sounds like you may be experiencing issues with email misdelivery due to the similarity of your email address with another user's account. This can happen when two accounts have similar usernames, leading to confusion in email routing. Here are a few steps you can take to address the situation:

1. Verify Email Headers: Check the headers of the emails you received to see if they were indeed sent to your address or if they were misaddressed. This can help confirm if the emails are genuinely intended for you.
2. Contact Microsoft Support: If you continue to receive emails that do not belong to you, consider reaching out to Microsoft support for assistance. They may be able to help you determine if there is a misconfiguration or if another account is mistakenly using your email address.
3. Change Your Email Settings: You can also check your account settings to ensure that your email is not being forwarded or filtered incorrectly. This includes reviewing any rules that may have been set up inadvertently.
4. Consider a Different Email Address: If the issue persists and becomes a significant inconvenience, you might want to consider creating a new email address. While this is not ideal, it could help you avoid further confusion.
5. Monitor for Security Issues: Keep an eye on your account for any suspicious activity, especially since you've mentioned receiving codes for accounts you do not own. If you suspect any unauthorized access, take steps to secure your account, such as changing your password and enabling two-factor authentication.

Unfortunately, Microsoft typically does not close accounts based on username conflicts, but they can provide guidance on how to manage your account effectively.

References:

• Email messages are sent to the wrong account when multiple accounts are associated with an Outlook profile
• You receive a Microsoft account security alert email message in Office 365 Dedicated/ITAR (vNext)

since the email addresses got x'ed out above, I wanted to clarify my question that I think it is happening because, for example, my eileen-at-live.com email is receiving messages meant for eileen-at-outlook.com

Hi Eileen, I understand why this is confusing. It seems someone might have entered your email by mistake when creating accounts, or their username is close to yours, causing these email mix-ups. Your account isn't being merged.

First, check your Microsoft account's security settings and confirm your recovery info is correct. Enable two-step verification if you haven't already. If you get emails for accounts you don't own, don't click any links. Mark them as Not mine or unsubscribe. For the shop account sending codes to a different number, contact that service since someone used your email to create an account.

Have you seen any unfamiliar sign-ins or activity on your Microsoft account? Are these emails mainly from stores and newsletters?